20100716 What's the Beef With Meat (1)

What's the Beef With Meat?

Vegetables are the key to be a healthy diet, but can they take the place of meat?

To eat meat or not to eat meat, that is the question. Mark, whose girlfriend is a vegetarian, has recently decided to give up meat. He is discussing his decision with his friend Daniel.

Conversation A

Daniel: So is there anything new with you and Jessie?

Mark: Not much, but I have decided to become a vegetarian.

Daniel: You're giving up meat?

Mark: Well, Jessie and I have talked a lot about it.

Daniel: I guess I'm not really surprised. I knew she would win you over eventually.

Mark: But I've done my own research too. You should see the news reports about farm and slaughterhouse conditions. What those animals endure is horrible.

Daniel: But those reports always exaggerate reality. I'm sure most farmers treat their animals well. Besides, eating meat is natural and healthy for humans.

Mark: Actually, my main motivation for becoming a vegetarian is health.

Daniel: How so?

Mark: A vegetarian diet is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure and a healthy weight.

Daniel: But on the other hand, meat is a great source of iron and protein. It's much easier to eat a balanced diet if you include meat.

beef Un. 牛肉

beef n. 不滿/抱怨/牢騷

beef with someone 對某人的抱怨

eg: Janet's beef with her boss is that she got transferred to another office.

=> Janet因為老闆把她調到另一個辦公室而抱怨。

eg: The employees' main beef with the company is the long working hours.

=> 員工對公司的抱怨最主要是工作時間太長。

ex- 向外

exaggerate v. 誇張/誇大

=> make the story bigger

eg: The side-effect of the vaccine was exaggerated by the press.

=> 這個疫苗的副作用被媒體誇張報導了。

eg: I'm not exaggerating! The fish I caught was over 25 pounds.

=> 我沒有誇張!我捉到的魚超過25磅。

associate v. 聯想/與...有關連

eg: People associate Hollywood with fame and wealth.

=> 人們都把好萊塢與名聲和財富連想在一起。

eg: Smoking is often associated with lung cancer.

=> 抽煙經常和肺癌有關聯。

What's the beef with something?

=> What don't you like about something?

vegetarian n. 素食主義者的

slaughterhouse 屠殺場

//== Chat room ==//

give up 放棄

eg: I give up.

=> 我已經死了這條新，我放棄/我認輸

give up something 停止/終止/戒掉某物

eg: gived up smoking 戒煙

eg: Mark has recently decided to give up meat.

=> Mark要戒掉吃肉

give up on 離棄/對某人感到失望

eg: Father gave up on his son.

give yourself up 屈服/投降/向警方自首